Unstable
Plot A victim who bonds with the officer who rescues her forces Benson and Stabler to work with the volatile officer to close the case. Unfortunately, the case becomes more complicated, and extends the unhappy team, when the Executive ADA brings evidence that their case may have been committed by a serial rapist and Elliot may have put an innocent man in prison for ten years. Summary Episode summary Cast Main cast * Christopher Meloni as Detective Elliot Stabler * Mariska Hargitay as Detective Olivia Benson * Richard Belzer as Sergeant John Munch (credit only) * Ice-T as Detective Odafin Tutuola * B.D. Wong as Dr. George Huang (credit only) * Tamara Tunie as M.E. Melinda Warner * Dann Florek as Captain Donald Cragen Recurring cast * Christine Lahti as E.A.D.A. Sonya Paxton * Chike Johnson as Victor Tate * J. Paul Nicholas as Defense Attorney Linden Delroy Guest cast * Mahershalalhashbaz Ali as Mark Foster * Jennifer Ferrin as Rena West * Geneva Carr as Katie Harris * Cherise Boothe as Beverly Neal * Helmar Augustus Cooper as Malcolm Foster * Wentworth Miller as Officer Nate Kendall * Glenn Turner as Willie Boots * Melle Powers as Layla Foster * Patrick Ryan Sullivan as Tom Conlon * Kristopher Kling as Spencer Conlon * Madeline Rhodes as Angelina Lupino * Angel David as Sergeant Juan Carlos * Timothy Booth as Shane Harris * Suzan Perry as Madeleine Stewart * Robert Berlin as Man * Shavi Blake as CSU Tech * Donesha Hopkins as Six-Year-Old Girl * Rich Campbell as Bus Depot Traveler (uncredited) * Dawn Ressy as Crime Scene Onlooker (uncredited) References references Quotes *'Elliot Stabler': (about the suspect) What we're saying is he's no first-timer. He's got his rape routine down pat. *'Sonya Paxton': Wait, wait. I thought there were no open rape cases matching this M.O. *'Elliot Stabler': There aren't, maybe the victims didn't report it. My gut is telling me that he's done it before. *'Sonya Paxton': (under her breath) Or maybe it's your acid reflux. ---- *'Olivia Benson': Where's Alex Cabot? *'Sonya Paxton': Training in Albany. When she's finished, she'll take my spot in appeals. *'Elliot Stabler': Appeals? Well, no disrespect, but we do things a little differently down here in New York City. *'Sonya Paxton': Oh, really? I was trying homicides when you were fresh out of the academy, walking a beat and trying not to piss yourself. ---- *'Sonya Paxton': The suspect asked for his lawyer and you kept questioning him for 93 seconds. That's a violation of his right to counsel. *'Olivia Benson': We'll leave you to your client, counselor. *'Sonya Paxton': No, no, no, no. I may be wearing couture, but I don't represent scumbags. *'Elliot Stabler': So who exactly do you represent? *'Sonya Paxton': The people. Sonya Paxton, your new ADA. How's it going? ---- *'Olivia Benson' Mark Foster: You got a short fuse. *'Mark Foster': (scoffs) My fuse is plenty long. You should see it. *'Olivia Benson': What for? You couldn't keep your wife happy with it. ---- *''the suspect flees, Nate Kendall hits him with his car'' *'Elliot Stabler': What the hell was that? You trying to kill him? *'Nate Kendall': I hate to run. ---- *'Nate Kendall': I don't like victims. They cling. *'Olivia Benson': Not after you bag the trash that assaulted 'em. ---- Background information and notes *This is the first season since season 1 where in the opening credits there is no ADA serving as a series regular status. *This episode marked the new day and time which was forced on the program by The Jay Leno Show taking up all the weekday 10:00 pm timeslots. The Wednesday, 9:00 pm slot would be the first time original broadcasts had aired pre-safe harbor (10:00 pm E/P, 9:00 pm Central) since the first nine episodes of season one aired in the original Monday, 9:00 pm slot. *'Crew Transitions': Story editor Mick Betancourt becomes a full-fledged member of the writing team and a co-producer, Daniel Truly moves from supervising producer to co-executive producer, and Michael Ciliento moves from script coordinator to part of the writing team as an associate producer. Episode scene cards Category:SVU episodes